Earth Versus Pern: Redux
by Rikki Felidae
Summary: A tribute to roleplay and a fanfiction I loved. AIVAS sends the DNA information of dragons to Earth occupied space. Seeing only an opportunity for a weapon they put science to the task of re-creating the species to suit their own needs, then head to Pern.
1. Chapter 1

A message makes the long journey from the Rukbat system and back to inhabited space. A long message streaming data from a piece of very old technology passed by star and planet as it searched for a colony that could understand such an outdated format. AIVAS had known that such a message would take some time to get anywhere, but its coding required that it try anyway, the Earthen government always wanted to keep track of colonies and to know that one had survived and flourished so long, without paying taxes, would be quite interesting to them. So the message continued on, waiting for the code to be acknowledged and received. Years passed into almost a decade before the message was caught by an old colony out in the fringes of inhabited space. The first note of the message instructed them to decode the information and pass it along to their government; the decoding was simple and done with great excitement by an intern or student of some sort.

However the leaders of this settlement were quite bitter at the fact they were stuck with such old technology to begin with so the message was held back by spite even though it would solve nothing. Eventually cooler mind prevailed and the message was sent on its way again.

This time the trip was short, but had many turns. Debates and votes were had over the information and what to do with it. Many thought it was a hoax, how could it be true? That planet had been avoided for so long it had become myth, a thing of nightmares. Stories of clouds that would eat you alive haunted the ghost stories of children. Pern had been lost for millennia, how long had this message been traveling? Was it even true anymore? Should they even care about one little planet? Officially no decision was forthcoming but secretly the arms of the military took the copies of the information they could find and started to plan their own future.

The best scientists from every colony were gathered onto one small and sparkly populated planet. Parbeth (Parallel Antari, Resources Barely THere) was isolated and as far as they were concerned perfect for what they needed. The information was passed around to be studied, decoded, translated, and recreated.

There was one word that stood out amongst all others.

One word leaked into the mainstream.

One word whispered across solar systems.

This word that threatened to change the world for better or worse.

One word that changed the Myth of Pern forever because now the death-clouds had an enemy, a heroic enemy that would fight to the death and no matter what the cost.

That one word set so much in motion looking back it was hard to see how they could have ever been the same.

One word.

Dragons.


	2. Chapter 2

_Professional Log_ of Dr. Andyhel Lennon on Project _New Wings_ in the 1994th Year _Ab Bellum_:

_9.12.1994 A.B._

I am Dr. Lennon, a member of the Geneograph Team assigned by the Antari Generals to work on Project _New Wings_. This journal will be used to make note of major progress and observations for record purposes. The Project will be working on first decoding then recreating the creatures described by the old AI from the Pern planet.

_20.14.1994 A.B._

After months of work and very little progress Decoding Team 3 finally cracked the method of the woman who headed the original design of the creatures. Many were surprised at the advanced techniques she was able to use in such an ill-equipped location. Work on understanding what is left now falls to us in Teams 1 and 2. It has been decided to start re-creation with the smaller creatures described in the report that the 'dragons' were created from. The Generals have been asking about using them as scouts even better than what had been found before. Life that can hunt for itself on location is cheaper in their opinion than the fuel cost for microbots.

_11.15.1994 A.B._

Decoding of the smaller 'lizard' has been completed and modifications are now being theorized and planned out. The decision was made that the hyper-adaptability found in creatures on Stagarri 9 would be included, as well as strengthening the bond they can create with a partner so that the smaller color-variants will follow orders more regularly. A second breeding female is being created from the genes of the 'white' variant and will be made as large as the brown variant male. They will not be very common but enough to boost the 'lizard' birthrate. A contest for the new name for the 'fire-lizards', as they aren't lizards in the slightest, has been started, the reward being an egg from the final product. Discussion of the larger 'dragons' is sparse as they hardly seem real.

_4.1.1995 A.B._

After the two day New Year celebration here on Geterna the first eggs of the newly-named Dlanki, after a Monferr Prime creature they looked like, were ready to hatch. When nothing happened by the end of last night they were all declared dudes and cracked for dissection. Preliminary thoughts are that the incubator was to cold, and they did not develop.

_25.1.1995 A.B._

The second set of Dlanki eggs was set to hatch today, two of the seven made it out of their shells to bond. Both are small and frail, they are not thought to last long but their handlers seem very attached already. The other five eggs are being studied.

_10.2.1995 A.B._

The two Dlanki from the last clutch, a green and a brown variant, are still alive but are too weak to fly. Both they and the five unhatched eggs were found to have poor muscle structure. The bad changes were found and corrected, although this seems it will make them smaller. This is acceptable and work continues. Debate continues about their supposed ability to breathe fire after chewing a certain stone. Geologists were brought in to figure out the composition needed for such a mineral and if something like that could be found outside of that one planet.

_23.2.1995 A.B._

The third set of eggs hatched yesterday with seven out of ten hatchlings surviving long enough to bond successfully. A gold, two bronze, and two green variants bonded and seem perfectly healthy, flying only hours after they hatched like the report had said.

_16.3.1995 A.B._

The new handlers say that communication with the Dlanki is mostly emotions and pictures but my team member who bonded to the gold says that she has started using simple words. This seems to confirm that the larger variants are more intelligent than the smaller ones. Tests are also showing that the teleportation range seems to have decreased with their size as well. The Geologists that were brought in say that they cannot find anything the records of known planets like the 'firestone' that would allow the Dlanki to breathe flame.

_8.4.1996 A.B._

After over a full year of development and perfection of the Dlanki they have been declared finished and even the civilians here on Geterna were allowed to bond to them. The Generals agreed that this planet would be the base for their population. While part of Team 4 continues to work on gear and technology that will enable Dlanki to travel in space the rest of the Project was reassigned Teams and set to work on the big Project, the Dragons.

_19.12.1996 A.B._

Understanding the dragon notes seems to be a bigger task than thought. It seems that a second person had taken over for the lead scientist after the project was mostly successful. Further projects seemed to deviate from the original design and there is debate in which creature we should start with as there is no indication of which set is the final 'dragon' pictured in the report. It seems that the first set is more like the small template, so far.

_23.12.1996 A.B._

Work begins today on re-creating the dragon from the first set of notes. Projections show that the other is misshapen and not flight capable. Some suggest they be recreated for ground use but this has not been authorized. Changes made to the Dlanki such as the silver variant and smaller size are to be made to the dragons as well. Debate continues on increasing their independence even though this might sacrifice the teleportation ability. Inquiries about making just one of the variants keep the ability and reduced memory and independence but it is unknown if this is possible at this point.

_17.15.1996 A.B._

The first set of dragon eggs was scheduled to hatch today and nothing happened until the youngest Cadet impulsively touched the eggs. A blue variant who calls himself Dannix bonded to the boy but seemed very weak. After this it was realized that the dragonets had been waiting on the Cadets to choose an egg. After waiting so long in the suffocating shell 4 of the dragonets died unbonded leaving only two more to bond, a green named Sarrax and another blue called Kalinnix. The three dragonets are very weak and can barely move. Medical teams are working to figure out the problem. Dissections of the other four eggs are commencing.

_21.15.1996 A.B._

The four unhatched eggs show that most of the damage was due to strain and suffocation as they waited. It is unknown why they did not hatch and choose their own bonded like was reported and the change is being investigated. The three that hatched show severe mental and physical disability. Their bonded Cadets have a lot of work to keep the ungainly things from hurting themselves but they seem entirely content to do it all. It is unknown what the three pairs will do now.

_25.1.1997 A.B._

The second set of dragon eggs hatched today. All but one of the nine hatched successfully. The nine new pairs feature one green, two blues, a brown, two bronze and two new color variants. One is a midsized red-orange colored female that some are insisting is a gold, the other is the attempt at keeping the teleportation ability, a large black male. They call themselves Gigax and Uathix respectively. All eight pairs seem healthy and are settling into the barracks newly built for them. Naming patterns show, so far, that females will end in –ax while males –ix. The dud seems to be a silver that did not develop correctly the cause is unknown.

_3.3.1997 A.B._

After study of the unhatched silver it was discovered that breeding females need special incubation and can be told apart by the metallic sheen on the egg. The third set of eggs is set to hatch in the next day. All healthy personnel are required to stand for the 20 eggs. This amount of eggs is to increase the chance of a breeding female as well as to see if there is an age limit to impression as with the original report. The orange female from the previous hatching seems to be unusually violent and angry, more so than any of her siblings. Questions have been raised if this is a color trait or an individual personality.

_4.3.1997 A.B._

All 20 eggs hatched and bonded successfully to those ranged from the age of 13 to 38. The colors are as follows: four greens, three blues, two browns, two more orange females and one orange male, four bronze, two more black males and two golden females. Debate whether the orange was just a small gold has died as both colors strongly deny such a thing. Artificial clutches are to be suspended as the golds grow and only one more is planned for genetic diversity. All teams are either to be re-assigned to the second dragon-creature in the report or study of the new dragonets as they grow.

_7.14.1998 A.B._

The dragons have been declared mature today although there seems to be no indication of when the golds will fly for the first time. The blacks seem to have proven that they hold the power of teleportation as they were designed to as well as the stronger dependency on their bonded human. The Riders' report of the void that is between places is frightening but we are all going to be required to experience it.

_18.14.1998. A.B._

The last artificial set of eggs hatched today. Twenty-five Eggs hatched into 6 greens, 5 blue, 4 brown, 4 orange (3 male, 1 female), 3 bronze, 1 silver and 2 more golds. All are healthy and seem to be following close in their sibling's footsteps in development. The silver was about the same size as her brown brothers.

_9.9.1999 A.B._

Golden females Sanyuax and Chevax flew their mating flights today separated by a great distance as was cautioned in the much studied report. Bronze Hyunix and Black Iopix won the right to mate with them. Neither female has gotten along with the other since maturity and now there are two compounds for the new Project Wind Riders. I have been transferred to the new location with Sanyuax. All healthy and of age personnel are still to stand for impression. Both females will be watched carefully as their eggs develop.

_1.1.2000 A.B._

Due to impression of Black Denjix Dr. Andyhel Lennon is removed from records keeping.


End file.
